This invention relates to training aids and, more particularly, to a device for use in training young ice skaters.
Most children experience difficulty in initially learning to ice skate. To the beginner ice skates are very unstable and falls are often sudden and severe. Once a child has taken a bad fall, he or she often becomes afraid and may abandon further efforts to learn to skate or, at least, they become so cautious that the learning process becomes a lengthy one.
In general, persons learning to skate feel a good deal more secure if they are able to hold on to someone, particularly a more experienced skater, to prevent falling. However, in many instances a good skater is not available or they do not have the time and patience required to teach a beginner. In lieu of another skater, a skating aid of some sort is most often used.
For years, parents, instructors and youth hockey coached have tried to find the perfect skating aid. They have used chairs and even milk crates tied together to coax young inexperienced skaters onto the ice. But most skating aids are "makeshift" and not fully adequate.